Park Bench Cafe

Manito Park Tour - Story 4

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The Park Bench Cafe marks the boundary between the zoo and the rest of the park at the corner of Tekoa and Manito. The zoo was part of Manito Park from 1905 to 1932.

The area were the cafe now stands was covered with water, a pond for the ducks and swan and included a little hut in the center.

Across the street from the Cafe is the George Washington Memorial. Using this as a point of reference, look left and see the hill where the old bandstand used to be. If you look closely you can see an old pole that looks like a dead tree that was the light pole in front of the bandstand. In 1916 it was requested that the cost of providing band concerts in the playgrounds and parks in Spokane be part of the park budget and this was approved in 1918.

In 1923 the pond was filled in and the cafe was built. Currently the Park Bench Cafe opens between Memorial Day and Labor Day.